UPDATE ON THE SEROEPIDEMIOLOGY OF HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS IN THEUNITED-STATES HOUSEHOLD POPULATION - NHANES-3, 1988-1994

To update the estimate of seroprevalence of HIV from the third Nationa l Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), data from the second phase of the survey were combined with previously published dat a to produce a more precise estimate. The testing was performed anonym ously on 11,203 individuals 18-59 years of age examined from 1988 to 1 994. Fifty nine individuals were HIV positive, for an overall prevalen ce of 0.32%. The number of individuals living in households with HIV i nfection based on this estimate was 461,000, with a 95% confidence int erval of 290,000-733,000. Analysis of nonresponse demonstrated that wh ite and black men 40-59 years of age were least likely to participate in the survey. A sensitivity analysis demonstrated that this nonrespon se may have biased the NHANES III estimate downward by 190,000 persons . Data from the second phase of the survey were used to analyze the as sociation between drug use and HIV infection. Black women who used coc aine were 12 times more likely to be HIV positive compared with all te sted black women (6.5% vs. 0.55%). This survey provides an estimate of HIV prevalence for individuals who reside in households but excludes some persons who are at higher risk for HIV infection, including priso ners and the homeless not residing in shelters.